


Do You Remember?

by pbandfluff



Category: Warehouse 13
Genre: F/F, F/M, Future Fic, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-08-25
Updated: 2012-08-25
Packaged: 2017-11-12 20:16:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,177
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/495247
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pbandfluff/pseuds/pbandfluff
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A few years in the future, two troublemakers peek in on a dance party, and one finds her own dance partner for life.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Do You Remember?

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by a 60's playlist. Cookies to people who identify the songs. (Not that I made them that hard to figure out)

Claudia slowly closed the front door behind her as she dropped her purse haphazardly next to the hall table. God, she needed a massage, if the kinks in her neck and shoulders were anything to go by. She took a step forward, only to pause as she watched the B&B's youngest charge creep silently down the stairs.

"Should I even ask why you're not in bed, or is ignorance better when your mothers find out?"

Claudia smirked as the tiny figure froze and slowly pivoted around to face her. Mismatched striped and polka-dotted pajamas, along with a confluence of Myka's messy hair, proved that she should have been in bed, but the sharp gleam in her eyes reminded Claudia of the buildup before Helena unleashed invention apocalypse upon the B&B.

A quiet hushing was the only answer she received before the littlest Bering-Wells began to slink off into the shadows.

Claudia knew that, should she be caught enabling Elli to be out during bedtime hours, she'd receive another talking to from Myka about being a role model, but something in the young girl's look before she made her exit piqued Claudia's interest. Toeing her boots off as quietly as she could, she followed her down the hallway.

The faint and muffled strains of music bounced around the building, and Elli silently navigated them towards its source, sliding into place in front of the door to the library. Claudia's brain tripped over itself trying to place the few lyrics she could hear through the walls, and she watched, tensely, as Elli twisted the glass doorknob and nudged the heavy door open.

The peaceful sounds of  _"Stand By Me"_  broke the silence of the hallway, and Claudia peered over Elli to take a look at its source.

A record player sat on a coffee table, a cord running from it to the carelessly placed iPod belying its history of being tweaked by the residents. There was a fire roaring merrily in the fireplace, and the pieces of furniture usually patterned around the room had been pushed to corners and niches to uncover the large rug. The lights were off, letting the fire illuminate the room with its flickering warmth and dance with the shadows on the walls.

The Mrs. Bering-Wells' stood in the middle of the rug, swaying slowly to the remnants of the current song, arms around shoulders and waists. Claudia glanced down at Elli, smiling at the wide-eyed adoration with which the girl viewed her mothers.

As the iPod flipped over to another song, and a faster, up-beat melody sailed through the room, Claudia smirked as Myka and Helena laughed and broke apart. Reattaching at the hands, they both began to side-step back and forth, twirling each other and allowing themselves to quietly sing along to Marvin Gaye and Tammy Terrell.

Claudia felt a hand brush her own, and she grinned as Elli pulled her into the hallway to dance as well, the height difference making things that more absurd. The green of Elli's eyes stood out in the muted light, her smile stretching and stretching across her face, and Claudia was hit at how much she looked like her mother in that moment. Elli fluttered her eyelashes unconsciously, in a move Claudia had seen  _very_  consciously on her other mother, and she was reminded that Elli was definitely both Myka and Helena, yet something all her own.

Eventually the song died down, and another shuffled into place. This one was very slow, and as Helena pulled Myka to herself, Claudia knew this show was about to turn from kid-friendly to VIP only. Tugging on Elli's hand, she placed a finger over her lips in warning, and led them back to the front staircase. Climbing up the stairs, Elli continued to hum the beginning of the last song under her breath, swaying ever so slightly in time, and allowing a quick shuffle every fourth step. Claudia was grateful that Elli was also as reasonable as her mothers, and quickly climbed into bed without a fuss. She grinned impishly at Claudia, oval eyes sparkling behind stray curls. Claudia grinned in response, knowing instinctively that one day Elli was going to be her full-on partner in crime at the Warehouse, and lord help everyone around them.

"I like watching Mama and Mummy dance," Elli offered quietly, a smile still playing on the edges of her mouth.

"It is kind of fun, isn't it?" Claudia murmured, pulling the blanket up to cover the young girl.

"I'm going to marry someone who dances with me," Elli proclaimed solemnly, shifting down underneath the covers.

"Is that so?" Claudia laughed. "And what if you can't find anyone who will dance with you?"

Elli blinked, and then questioned shyly, "Would  _you_  dance with me, Claudia?"

Claudia's face softened, and she brushed a wayward strand of face out of Elli's face, "Of course I'll dance with you, Elli. Who else is gonna teach me all your amazing moves?"

Elli giggled, and pulled the covers up, blinking from half-behind her blanket.

"I'll marry you then," she whispered, "Just like Mama and Mummy."

Claudia chuckled nervously, "I think you'd have to wait along time for that, Elli."

"Not to mention," she muttered to herself, "I'm pretty sure there are 20 different squick factors involved in that age difference."

"No," Elli insisted, "I'll marry you. And you'll dance with me. And we'll live here and work at the Warehouse. And we'll be like Mama and Mummy."

Rolling over, Elli closed her eyes as if to physically end the conversation, and feigned sleep. Claudia chuckled and pressed a light kiss to her crown of curls before standing from the bed. Making sure to switch off the lamp and switch on the small nightlight by the door, she quietly made her way out the room, only to jump up and tense in fright as she came face-to-face with Myka and Helena.

"I see Elizabeth's already made her first proposal," Helena observed airily, eyes alight with mirth at her daughter's antics and Claudia's mild discomfort.

"At least we know she takes after you," Myka commented quietly, peeking around the doorframe to check on Elli one last time.

"Yeah, I didn't exactly know how to deal with that."

"That's all right," Myka grinned, "She probably won't remember it in the morning. Though if she does, I think we'll having some explaining to do to Leena."

Claudia blushed bright red and scrunched up her shoulders, "I am ignoring you and going to go sleep while I can. Speak a word of this and I will end you. Goodnight."

Myka and Helena tried not to laugh as she turned and walked the short distance to her own room, closing the door with a soft click behind her.

"How long do you think it will take for the two of them to realize that we know about their little foray into voyeurism?"

Myka scrunched her nose, "When you put it that way..."

Helena sighed dramatically and wrapped her arms around Myka from behind.

"Fine, darling," she murmured into Myka's ear, "How about an attempt at spying?"

Myka leaned back into her wife, twining their fingers together over her waist, "Much better. To answer the question, I'm almost positive neither has any idea, though Claudia might just figure we heard them at some point."

Helena hummed in response, and gently shuffled them into the doorway. They stood for a while, sway slightly, watching the soft rise and fall of Elli's chest.

"Do you think that Elizabeth is right, darling?"

Myka turned and looked at Helena over her shoulder, "About what?"

"About her and her future dancing partner, love," Helena answered, pressing a soft kiss to Myka's cheek.

Myka turned back to face the room, brow furrowed, "I don't think so. I mean, Elli says a lot of things she doesn't really mean. Most kids do at her age."

Helena made a small noise of agreement and settled her chin on Myka's shoulder.

Myka paused for a moment before asking, "Do  _you_  think she's right?"

Helena shrugged, "I'm not certain, darling. I  _do_  know that Elizabeth adores Claudia and would readily marry her now if it meant having unlimited access to all of Claudia's gadgets."

Myka rolled her eyes and huffed, drawing a smile and a gentle squeeze from Helena.

"Don't fret about it, darling," Helena drawled, "Elizabeth's still a little girl. And chances are, all this talk was for naught. Besides, I can think of better things for us to contemplate."

Myka smirked over her shoulder at the playful tone in Helena's voice, "Oh really now?"

"Yes," Helena murmured as she led them to their room, molding herself to Myka from behind and pushing the door to their room closed behind them.

* * *

"Judah, where are we? And can I take this ridiculous blindfold off now?"

A male chuckle sounded off her to left side, and she twisted her head to try and hear what was going on.

"Just trust me, Elli."

Elizabeth blew out an exasperated huff, "I  _do_  trust you. You wouldn't have gotten me in this blindfold if I didn't. But you've dragged me around Univille for the last two hours, and I just want to take this damn thing  _off_!"

Gentle fingers landed on her shoulders for a moment before drawing upwards to grip the ends of the ties of the blindfold.

"Keep your eyes closed, ok?" Judah whispered, and Elizabeth nodded slightly, teeth worrying her bottom lip.

The ties were pulled, and Elizabeth had to resist the urge to blink at the sudden loss of pressure on her eyes. Standing completely still, she waited once more, suddenly noticing the well-known sound of logs popping in a fire. Taking a moment to breathe in, she shifted her weight back and forth, knowing that the slight creaking was familiar somehow...

"I thought I asked for brains off."

Elizabeth scowled, frustrated, "Yes, well, forgive me if I'm not exactly capable of turning off the analytical part of my brain. You know my parents, and my family. Constant processing is practically hardwired in my DNA, and add that to the fact I've been practically kidnapped, I-"

"Elli."

Her hands were grasped, and fingers threaded through hers. The gesture was calming, and she took a deep breath, releasing it slowly as she was lead to the center of the room.

"Elli, try to put that big brain of yours on pause and dance."

One hand was let go and she heard something being picked up and tapped at. The staccato notes of an electric guitar suddenly broke the silence of the room, and her eyes snapped open just as The Supremes began croon.

Looking to around the room, she saw the fire in the fireplace, the jury-rigged record player, the furniture pushed away, and her boyfriend making a fool of himself trying to dance. Laughing, she grabbed his hand and began to twirl them around the room.

Outside, four sets of eyes peered around the doorframe.

" _See_ ," Claudia accused, poking Helena sharply in the side, "I  _told_  you he was a keeper. But no- _ho_ , no one listens to the Caretaker."

Helena elbowed Claudia back and rolled her eyes, "Perhaps. I still have yet to pass judgement."

Myka chuckled at her wife and watched Elizabeth and Judah bounce around the room.

"He's a good boy for her," Leena commented quietly to Myka, ignoring her wife and Helena's poke fight that had developed in the hallway.

Myka nodded, and snapped her fingers at Claudia and Helena, "If you two don't cut that out, they'll hear us."

"Too late!"

Myka was suddenly yanked into the room, along with Leena, and pushed towards Judah, who was grinning sheepishly as the next song began. Myka and Leena watched as Elizabeth pulled Claudia and Helena in as well and pushed Claudia towards Judah, taking Helena as her new dance partner, leaving Myka and Leena to dance with each other. Laughter filled the room as Claudia and Judah began impromptu lip-syncing, to which Elizabeth and Helena had to challenge with their own dramatic rendition. Eventually Elizabeth and Judah made their way back to each other, as did Claudia and Leena, and Myka and Helena. Song after song played, and as the dance party continued, not even Artie's thunderous scowl as he passed by could bring down the mood.

"This is most fun I've had in a long time," Elizabeth confessed, as she and Judah took a break to watch the other couples

Judah smiled, "I had some help. Claudia gave me some suggestions for the music, and your parents helped me set up the room."

Elizabeth smiled back and rested her head on Judah's shoulder for a moment. They laughed as Claudia went into flailing mode and nearly took off Myka's nose in the process.

Judah suddenly jumped up and offered his hand.

"C'mon Elli," he coaxed with a grin, "Let's dance."

Elizabeth grinned and grabbed his hand, letting him pull her up.

_"Do you remember the 21st night of September?"_


End file.
